Just watched the episode. Wow, looks like I'm out of sync with 99% of humanity. I liked it a lot; not among the absolute best ones of the season, but right up there, and certainly much better than last one.

For some reason, I did like the slayerettes this time. They looked like actual characters with believable reactions, not furniture that speaks from time to time (like in last week). Same with the way the other characters were handled: Willow and her fear of magic and her (speculation only) future romance with Kennedy, Andrew (did you see when Buffy caught him sleeping in the sofa and he quickly cleaned it?), Anya... Her conversation with the demon? Not "9-10: hysterical", but certainly "7-8: highly amusing".

The only thing that bothered me, as with everyone else, was the final fight. So the key to beat an invincible enemy is just to try real hard, and do it at a time when it might set an example? I thought that Buffy would eventually call the slayerettes for help, and that they would be able to beat the ubervamp together, as a practical lesson of the benefits of cooperation, mutual trust, etc. Oh well.

Sue, I just looked through the DVD's and here's the special features.

Disk 3
Season 3 Overview (interviews with writers and cast)
Buffy Speak

Disk 4
Helpless - commentary by David Fury
Bad Girls - commentary by Doug Petrie, interview with Joss
Consequences - commentary by director Michael Gershman, interview with Joss

Disk 5
Enemies - interview with Joss
Earshot - commentary by Jane Espenson, interview with Joss

Disk 6
Graduation Day 1 & 2 - interviews with Joss
Special Features: Interview with Monster Maker John Vulich
Wardrobe, Weapons, Special Effects

I'm disappointed that Lover's Walk and Dopplegangland don't have any commentary but they do talk about Lover's Walk in the Season 3 overview feature on disk 3.

I wish they'd do some cast commentary. I'd love to hear NB talk about The Zeppo (or The Pack).

Brian watched the ep this afternoon. He thought it was too much a continuation of last episode and 'last episode sucked'.

And during the telepathic talk? He said 'Who is that?', because it doesn't sound like Buffy at all.

There is some cast commentary on the features on disk 3 but very little.

I didn't think the episode sucked, I just think it was slow and a bit dull. I don't like Buffy as "teacher".

I was rather amused by Dawn calling the ProtoSlayers useless (okay, she said that she didn't think they were much help, I'm paraphrasing here). Pot. Kettle. Dawn.

Watched the Helpless commentary last night. I was surprised to see that the actor who plays Malcolm Reed on Enterprise was a member of the Council and later, a vampire!

So I just stopped by my registrar's office, and it turns out that the deadline for submitting an intent to graduate form was in mid-November. Ooops. They say I can still get my degree in the spring if I submit it now, but there are no ceremonies for naughty latecomers. Oh well. If all goes well, I'll be having one in two years anyway.

'Ouise, do you think mom will be annoyed at me?

Well, as long as the ceremony is the only thing you'll miss, I think she'll stop at exasperated. Oops, indeed. Isn't this the kind of thing that you're supposed to have mentioned to you by an advisor person? Oh well.

I hope that you're having a good day otherwise.

I didn't bother to go to my graduation ceremony. And I'm quite sure I didn't fill out any forms about graduating... Still, since I was in a professional program, that might have been taken as given. Also, they did just tell us to sign things and they took care of the details.

I think that if I hadn't switched to a double major and a history advisor, I probably would have been told to fill out the form at the start of the year, and then everything would have been taken care of. As it was, my advisor had enough trouble remembering I was a fourth year when we were going over what classes I still needed to take. I'm not surprised that he forgot about graduation.

'Course, now that I'm remembering how deadly boring graduation ceremonies are when you're in them, I'm not sure that I mind.

Elena, why didn't you go? Scheduling problem/out of town, or just didn't give a damn?